Method of automatically modifying the probability of random selection of a presentation based on how long the user delays before skipping (time-based skip weighting)

ABSTRACT

A method of adjusting the probability of a presentation being randomly selected during random play based on user feedback where the length of delay prior to the user pressing the skip button causes a modification in the probability of that presentation being displayed again.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/456,524, filed Nov. 9, 2010 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

The present application includes a Computer Program Listing filed on asingle compact disc (CD), filed in duplicate. The Computer ProgramListing is presented in a single file on each CD and is namedskipper-code-2010-09-19.zip. It is written in Java. The Computer ProgramListing was created on Sep. 19, 2010 and comprises 115 kilobytes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This application relates to adjusting the probability that a particularpresentation, including a media file, in a presentation set will berandomly selected for presentation on an electronic device based on userbehavior.

2. Prior Art

Many electronic products designed to present media files have a mode ofpresenting the media files in a random order. For instance, on an MP3player, there is normally a “random play mode” (or “shuffle mode”) thatwill play all media files in a pseudo-random order that is selected bymeans of various well-known computer programs and methods. This randomorder is likely to be other than the order that appears on the device'splay list, when it is played in non-random order. For instance, thedevice could contain three songs: A, B, and C. In “non-random mode”, thedevice plays in the order of A first, B second, and C third. This orderwas either directly selected by the user, or indirectly selected by theuser. It can be “indirectly selected by the user” because, for instance,this ordering is related to the chronological order that the songs wereadded to the device (A was placed on the device first, B second, and Cfirst—following the “FIFO” principle of play). Regardless of how theorder of play (A first, B second, and C third) was initially selected,that is the order that the device always plays the songs in when it isin non-random mode, unless and until the user manually changes theorder. By way of contrast, in random play mode, the device, usingvarious techniques that are well-known in the art of computer science,may play B first, then C, then B again, and then A. Not only does thedevice play songs “randomly” in random play mode, but it also may playthe song more than once, before it has played other songs on thelist—just as a matter of chance. It should also be noted here that“random play mode” does not mean that a new list of media files is beingrandomly created in a new order, and then displayed in that new order.“Random play mode”, as used here, simply means that the device israndomly selecting a media file from the set list of media files, andthen playing that media file. A new list of media files is not beingcreated. For instance, the MP3 player that contains 3 songs: A, B, andC, is not creating a new, randomized list of songs when it is in randomplay mode, it is simply randomly selecting a song, either A, B, or C,from the list of available songs and then playing it for the user. Theoriginal order of songs, A, B, and C, remains intact, and no new list ofsongs is created.

A variation, also disclosed in the prior art, on the above-described“random play mode” is for the device to adjust the probability ofindividual media files being presented by noting and responding to userbehavior in response to a particular presentation. This allows the userto influence the probability that particular media files will be played,in accordance with their preferences, while still maintaining an elementof randomness regarding what is played. Most users of devices such asMP3 players normally have preferences regarding what types of songs ontheir play list they would like to hear, or not hear, and thesepreferences can change over time. This variation on the above-described“random play mode” allows the user to reduce the probability that aparticular song would play on their MP3 player by skipping past aparticular song. This is described here as “skip-weighting”. (“Skipping”is typically accomplished on an MP3 player by pressing a button thatorders the device to play another song. On a computer randomlydisplaying images on a computer screen “skipping” can be accomplished byallowing the user to press a button on the keyboard, such as the spacebar, which causes the computer to discontinue displaying the currentimage and to display a new image.) The more the user “skips” past aparticular song, the more the probability of the song being played inthe future would be reduced. This variation on random play mode wouldalso allow a user to increase the probability that a particular song onan MP3 player would be heard by skipping past other songs on the playlist more often than a particular song, thereby increasing its relativeprobability of being randomly selected by the MP3 player in the future.

A problem with skip weighting in the prior art is that it does not takeinto account when the user skips past a particular media file. Theamount of time a user takes before skipping past a media file currentlydisplayed would typically correlate with whether the user found themedia file of interest or not. For instance, if the user skips a visualmedia file (called “File A”) after 15 seconds of display, and skipsanother media file (called “File B”) after 2 seconds of display, then,other things equal, the 13 second difference would indicate that theuser is more interested in File A than in File B.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, this invention discloses a method tomodify the selection probability for a presentation that was randomlyselected from a presentation set, by modifying the selection probabilityof said presentation based on the skipped presentation duration orpresentation fraction.

DRAWINGS-FIGURES

FIG. 1: Discloses a method for presenting a presentation, such a mediafile, from a presentation set for an indefinite period of time.

FIG. 2: This discloses an additional step to FIG. 1, which checks to seeif a presentation has been completed.

FIG. 3: This shows how the invention is implemented in the includedsource code.

FIG. 4: This is a sub-flowchart of the last step from FIG. 3, “Decreaseselection probability of skipped presentation based on skippedpresentation duration”.

FIG. 5: This is the first graph.

FIG. 6: This is the second graph.

FIG. 7: This is the third graph.

FIG. 8: This is the fourth graph.

FIG. 9: This is the fifth graph.

FIG. 10: This is the sixth graph.

FIG. 11: This is the seventh graph.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

-   -   The following terms have the following definitions:

Skipping: Discontinuing the current presentation, and starting a newpresentation. “Skipping” is typically accomplished on an MP3 player bypressing a button that orders the device to play another song. On acomputer randomly displaying images on a computer screen “skipping” canbe accomplished by allowing the user to press a button on the keyboard,such as the space bar, which causes the computer to discontinuedisplaying the current image and to display a new image. Media File: Amedia file would include files for showing pictures in jpeg, gif, orsome other format. It would also include audio files such as mp3, way,or some other format. It would further include files that show video oranimation. Presentation: Anything presented to a user who has the optionof discontinuing the presentation by skipping. This would typically be amedia file displayed on any type of computer output device. However, itcan also be something other than a media file, such as a device thatreleases a particular scent into a room. The device continues to releasethe scent until it is “skipped” by the user, at which point a new scentis released into the room. (The enclosed invention could be used tocreate a device that adjusts the probability of a particular scent froma plurality of scents being released by such a device, based on thelength of time before a user “skips” that scent.) Additionally, a“presentation” could be something like a set of radio stations or a setof live video channels in which the user can skip to another station orchannel with weighted random selection. Selection Probability: Theprobability that a particular presentation from a given presentation setwill be randomly selected for display. Presentation Set: A group of oneor more presentations, typically media files, that can be selected fordisplay. Random Play: A mode on any electronic product, or device, suchas a computer, that will display a media file by being randomly selectedby the electronic device. This random selection by an electronic devicewill typically result in media files being displayed in an order otherthan the sequential order in which the particular media files may havebeen ordered to be played by the user. Skipped Presentation Duration:This is the length of time between the time a presentation starts andthe time the presentation is skipped by the user; however, the basis forthe skipped presentation duration can be indirect, such as using thepercentage of a presentation presented before skipping—which is stillindirectly based on the length of time. Unskipped Presentation Duration:If not skipped, this is the duration of a presentation before anotherrandom selection of a presentation. For instance, an audio file mightplay for two and a half minutes, until completion of the audio file—thisis the unskipped presentation duration. However, there are presentationsthat could have no unskipped presentation duration such as an audio fileon repeat that is played continuously until it is skipped. The inventiondescribed here can be used with presentations that have an unskippedpresentation duration and also for presentations that have no unskippedpresentation duration. The source code is an embodiment of the inventionthat allows the user to configure the unskipped presentation duration toan arbitrary length of time, such as setting the display times to 10seconds each. Presentation Fraction: Is calculated as the skippedpresentation duration divided by the unskipped presentation duration,which ranges from zero to one. Normalizing the selection probabilities:Means modifying the probabilities such that the total sum of theprobabilities in the set equals 1.0 (i.e., 100%). There are several waysto do this. Scaling Factor: Is the new probability divided by the oldprobability before “normalization”, i.e., normalizing the selectionprobabilities. For example, if the scaling factor is 0.5, the newprobability will be half the old probability. (By “probability” incalculating the scaling factor, what is meant is the selectionprobability of the skipped presentation.)

As previously mentioned, a problem with prior art skip-weighting is thatit does not take into account when the user skips past a particularmedia file. The amount of time a user takes before skipping past a mediafile currently displayed would typically correlate with whether the userfound the media file of interest or not. The invention disclosed heresolves this problem with a method of adjusting the probability of amedia file being randomly selected during “random play” based on userfeedback, where the length of delay prior to the user pressing the skipbutton causes a modification in the probability of that media file beingdisplayed again. The flowcharts and code included in this provisionalpatent application disclose this time-based skip-weighting invention.

Source code for one way of implementing the invention is included. Thissource code is written in the computer programming language Java. Thesource code is written for displaying a plurality of visual image fileson a computer screen in accordance with the invention disclosed, but itcould easily be modified to work with audio or video files that are sentto an audio/video output device. Modifying it to work with audio orvideo files would be trivially simple to anyone skilled in the art. Thismethod could also be easily implemented using electronic circuits,instead of software, by means of the flowcharts included in thisprovisional patent application.

FIG. 1 discloses a method for presenting a presentation, such a mediafile, from a presentation set for an indefinite period of time. Thepresentation continues until such time as it is skipped by the user, atwhich point the final step of modifying the selection probability of theskipped presentation based on skipped presentation duration occurs.Until the presentation is skipped by the user, it will continue todisplay indefinitely.

FIG. 2, unlike FIG. 1, discloses an additional step called “Presentationcompleted?” which checks to see if a presentation has been completed.This would mean that the presentation could end, regardless of whetherthe user skips the file.

FIG. 3 shows how the invention is implemented in the source code that isincluded herein.

FIG. 4 shows a sub-flowchart of the last step from FIG. 3, “Decreaseselection probability of skipped presentation based on skippedpresentation duration”. This is an embodiment of the invention oftime-based skip-weighting. The last step in this figure is described as“stop”. This indicates that the flow of the program continues in FIG. 3at “Divide each selection probability by the sum of the selectionprobabilities in the presentation set” when “Stop” is reached.

A series of graphs, FIGS. 5-11, have been included here that demonstratesome of the possible relationships between the Scaling Factor and theSkipped Presentation Duration or the Presentation Fraction that can beimplemented in the invention. Each of these relationships are drawn on aCartesian coordinate system, with Skipped Presentation Duration orPresentation Fraction as the independent variable, and Scaling Factor asthe dependent variable. Graphs one through three use skippedpresentation duration directly. Graphs four through seven usePresentation Fraction on the x-axis, however, presentation fraction ismerely the percentage of a presentation presented before skipping—whichis still indirectly based on the length of time.

FIG. 5 is the first graph below in the figures. If the user skips thepresentation within the first 5 seconds of the presentation, then thescaling factor is 0.5. After 5 seconds, the scaling factor is 1.0, whichmeans that there is no “penalty” imposed on the presentation after 5seconds. In other words, the selection probability of the presentationremains the same going into the future.

FIG. 6 is similar to the graph in FIG. 5 in that the scaling factor issome number less than one if the user skips the presentation within thefirst 5 seconds of the presentation. FIG. 6 is different from FIG. 5 inthat the scaling factor varies in a continuous linear relationship. Asthe presentation duration increases, the scaling factor increaseslinearly until the presentation duration reaches 5 seconds, at whichpoint the scaling factor is 1.0, and there is no further increase inscaling factor as time passes.

FIG. 7 is an example of a non-linear increase in scaling factor in whichthe scaling factor approaches 1.0, but never actually reaches 1.0.

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 5, but instead of the horizontal axisrepresenting skipped presentation duration, which is a directmeasurement of time elapsed, it represents the Presentation Fraction,which, as already mentioned, is still indirectly based on the length oftime. (It might be easier to understand the Presentation Fraction asequivalent to a percentage of the presentation, which the presentationfraction would be if multiplied by 100.)

In FIG. 9, the scaling factor varies linearly until the PresentationFraction reaches 0.5, at which point the maximum scaling factor of 1.0is reached.

In FIG. 10, the scaling factor changes from 0.5 to 1.0 as thePresentation Fraction changes from 0.0 to 1.0.

In FIG. 11, the scaling factor changes linearly from 0.5 to 1.5, as thePresentation Fraction changes from 0.0 to 1.0.

In one implementation of this invention, the user can be given theoption to modify the scaling factor by being presented with variousoptions for modifying the probability of future random selection of apresentation from a presentation set, in which the user is presentedwith a 2-D Cartesian coordinate system, wherein the vertical axisrepresents the Scaling Factor and the horizontal axis represents theSkipped Presentation Duration or Presentation Fraction. The user canthen adjust these factors by dragging the graph to create the examplegraphs disclosed here, or other graphs that are not shown here.Alternatively, the user can adjust the factors in a non-graphical mannerby just changing the horizontal axis values by inputting the valuesdesired. This is not implemented in the source code included herein, butthis would be easily implemented by one skilled in the art, based onthis explanation.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, andother modifications and variations may be possible in light of the aboveteachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical application tothereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the inventionin various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims beconstrued to include other alternative embodiments of the inventionexcept insofar as limited by the prior art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method implemented within a computer system tomodify the selection probability for a presentation that was randomlyselected from a presentation set, comprising: a. loading presentationselection probabilities for a presentation set; b. normalizing theselection probabilities in the presentation set; c. selecting randomly apresentation from the presentation set based on the selectionprobabilities; d. presenting the randomly selected presentation; and e.if a user skips the randomly selected presentation, calculating askipped presentation duration as the length of time between the time apresentation starts and the time the presentation is skipped,calculating an unskipped presentation duration as the duration of apresentation before another random selection of a presentation, thenmodifying the selection probability of the skipped presentation based onthe presentation fraction, wherein the presentation fraction iscalculated as the skipped presentation duration divided by the unskippedpresentation duration.
 2. The method of claim 1 further including: ifthe randomly selected presentation is completed in step d prior to auser skipping the randomly selected presentation in step e, thenbranching back to step c.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein normalizingthe selection probabilities in the presentation set comprises dividingeach selection probability in the presentation set by the sum of theselection probabilities in the presentation set.
 4. The method of claim1 further including: a. storing a presentation start time; and b.calculating a skipped presentation duration as the time the presentationis skipped by the user minus the presentation start time.
 5. The methodof claim 1 wherein modifying the selection probability of the skippedpresentation based on the presentation fraction comprises decreasing theselection probability of the skipped presentation.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 further including: a. if the presentation fraction is less thana preset value between zero and one, exclusive, then performing thefollowing; b. calculating a scaling factor as the presentation fractionplus one minus the preset value; and c. setting the selectionprobability of the skipped presentation to the scaling factor times thecurrent selection probability of the skipped presentation.
 7. The methodof claim 1 wherein normalizing the selection probabilities in thepresentation set comprises dividing each selection probability in thepresentation set by the sum of the selection probabilities in thepresentation set; wherein modifying the selection probability of theskipped presentation comprises decreasing the selection probability ofthe skipped presentation and further including: a. if the randomlyselected presentation is completed in step d of claim 1 prior to a userskipping the randomly selected presentation in step e of claim 1, thenbranching back to step c of claim 1; b. storing a presentation starttime; and c. calculating a skipped presentation duration as the time thepresentation is skipped by the user minus the presentation start time.8. A computing apparatus, comprising: an output device; an input device;a processing apparatus operatively coupled to said output device andsaid input device, said processing apparatus comprising a processor anda memory; said processing apparatus being programmed to: a. loadpresentation selection probabilities for a presentation set; b.normalize the selection probabilities in the presentation set; c. selectrandomly a presentation from the presentation set based on the selectionprobabilities; d. present the randomly selected presentation; e. if auser skips the randomly selected presentation, calculating a skippedpresentation duration as the length of time between the time apresentation starts and the time the presentation is skipped,calculating an unskipped presentation duration as the duration of apresentation before another random selection of a presentation, thenmodifying the selection probability of the skipped presentation based onthe presentation fraction, wherein the presentation fraction iscalculated as the skipped presentation duration divided by the unskippedpresentation duration.
 9. A computing apparatus as described in claim 8additionally programmed to do the following: if the randomly selectedpresentation is completed in step d prior to a user skipping therandomly selected presentation in step e, then branch back to step c.10. A computing apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein normalizingthe selection probabilities in the presentation set comprises dividingeach selection probability in the presentation set by the sum of theselection probabilities in the presentation set.
 11. A computingapparatus as described in claim 8 additionally programmed to do thefollowing: a. store a presentation start time; and b. calculate askipped presentation duration as the time the presentation is skipped bythe user minus the presentation start time.
 12. A computing apparatus asdescribed in claim 8 wherein modifying the selection probability of theskipped presentation based on the presentation fraction comprisesdecreasing the selection probability of the skipped presentation.
 13. Acomputing apparatus as described in claim 8 additionally programmed todo the following: a. if the presentation fraction is less than a presetvalue between zero and one, exclusive, then performing the following; b.calculate a scaling factor as the presentation fraction plus one minusthe preset value; and c. set the selection probability of the skippedpresentation to the scaling factor times the current selectionprobability of the skipped presentation.
 14. The computing apparatus ofclaim 8 wherein normalizing the selection probabilities in thepresentation set comprises dividing each selection probability in thepresentation set by the sum of the selection probabilities in thepresentation set; wherein modifying the selection probability of theskipped presentation comprises decreasing the selection probability ofthe skipped presentation and said processing apparatus beingadditionally programmed to do the following: a. if the randomly selectedpresentation is completed in step d of claim 8 prior to a user skippingthe randomly selected presentation in step e of claim 8, then branchback to step c of claim 8; b. store a presentation start time; and c.calculate a skipped presentation duration as the time the presentationis skipped by the user minus the presentation start time.